Fashion Trends Year in Review

Looking back on 2009, the trend in jewelry was toward a few well picked statement pieces and color was certainly in the mix. While the trends were bold, the jewelry in 2009 was still refined and feminine. The First Lady Michelle Obama began our year with her Inaugural Ball outfit finished with long, elegant dangle earrings and a wrist of diamond-set bangles. Many of the pieces we saw this year will be added to your timeless collection because many of the trends were recollections of the best of past fashions.

Cuff Bracelets: My favorite trend from 2009 are the bracelets. Cuffs and bangles have their place in jewelry history; we recall the style and designs of Queen Victoria, Coco Chanel and Elsa Peretti. To expand this style to every budget I will add Tory Burch and Kate Spade to this list.

Dangle/Drop Earrings: From chandeliers to hoops this fashion is very feminine and festive. In-and-out diamond hoops, which I once considered a fleeting trend, have secured a spot in jewelry must-haves and I am actually hoping to find a pair in my own Christmas stocking!

Cocktail Rings: A great way to incorporate color into your jewelry wardrobe. This fashion recalls the over sized colored stone rings of the 1940s. There is no better way to accessorize your martini.

Statement Necklaces: Whether heading to the office or the opera the perfect necklace is what you need.

Recommended Jewelry Reading

Whether you are building your own jewelry library, or looking for a perfect gift for yourself or another jewelry enthusiast, I have a few suggestions of titles that would sparkle in any collection.

Bulgari From 1884 to 2009: 125 Years of Italian Jewels, by Amanda Triossi. An elegant book featuring over 300 color photographs of Bulgari jewelry. It is written by the curator of the Bulgari vintage collection, who is also author of several other well-known jewelry books and is a jewelry expert at Sotheby’s London.

Amazing Cartier: Jewelry Design Since 1937, by Nadine Coleno. With a focus on trend setting creations, this book features over 100 pieces of Cartier jewelry, archival drawings, and society photographs. The author is a well-known fashion writer, and has also written several other books.

Read My Pins: Stories From A Diplomat’s Jewel Box, by Madeleine Albright. The book features the brooch collection of the U.S. Secretary of State, both costume and fine, and accompanied an exhibit by the same name at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York. The book tells of international diplomacy and how the brooches were “tools” in many of the talks.

Brooches: Timeless Adornment, by Lori Ettlinger Gross. A beautiful addition to any jewelry book library.

Scottish Jewellry: A Victorian Passion, by Diana Scarisbrick. The author is a well-know jewelry historian, curator and author of several other jewelry books. If the subject is of interest, the book is sure to delight.

The Twelve Jewels of Christmas

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me

Twelve millimeter Tahitians,

Eleven Patek Philippes,

Ten dangle earrings,

Nine lucite bangles,

Eight moonstones mounted,

Seven V-C-A earrings,

Six deco bracelets,

Five Hidalgo rings,

Four conch pearls,

Three French pins,

Two diamond studs,

And a pink diamond in a pear shape!

Just a few lyrical suggestions

if you are shopping for jewelry this

holiday season, or making your list

for Santa!